Abyssal Sovereignty

"Ugh... Managing these belligerent brutes is such a hassle..."

A male ogre sat in a chair in his room, his robust body leaning back. Unlike the other heavily muscled ogre, his physique was leaner, more akin to that of a bodybuilder compared to a mere gym-goer.

His eyes, fixed on a piece of roasted meat on the table, glimmered with intelligence—a rarity among his kind, who were mostly driven by their battle instincts.

"I wonder if our plans have been exposed..."

He thought about the goblins and smurfs, both significantly smarter than his kin. If their scheme were to be uncovered, the ogres might never get another chance to rise.

His superior intellect made him acutely aware that the ogres could not continue on their current path. Other races were rapidly advancing and would soon surpass the ogres’ once-unmatched strength. He had a foreboding sense that a major crisis loomed on the horizon. To address this, he had incited an internal revolt, overthrowing the previous Ogre King and taking his place.

Thud.

"Why has it been so noisy since earlier?"

The Ogre King stood up, opened the door, and was rendered speechless by the sight before him.

Dozens of ogre were piled on top of each other, being dragged effortlessly by a petite figure from another race. She didn’t appear to be struggling in the slightest.

"What... is going on here?"

"Are you the Ogre King?" the petite girl asked.

"Yes, I am. What do you want from me?"

"Oh? The Ogre King, quite approachable, I see."

At first glance, Yverantheia noticed the Ogre King's uniqueness. His gaze and muscular build were much more human-like compared to the other ogre.

"I want you to submit to me. The goblins and smurfs have already done so. What will your response be?"

"..."

Truthfully, after seeing the 'mountain of ogres,' the Ogre King immediately understood that this seemingly frail girl was anything but ordinary. He had been prepared for a bloody battle. Yet, her demand was simply for the ogre to submit?

Something was off.

"Speak. What is your real objective?"

"Didn't I just tell you?"

As he observed Yverantheia's expressionless face, the Ogre King began to waver.

'...Am I being overly cautious...?'

Regardless, he knew for certain that she was dangerous. Staying vigilant was the prudent choice.

"...We ogres have a..."

"A tradition of challenging the king, right?"

"Uh... Yes."

It was easy to deduce. The ogres, being a battle-hardened and strength-centric race, wouldn't easily submit to mere words.

"Let's not waste time. Let's get started."

As Yverantheia spoke, her aura shifted dramatically. What had seemed insignificant to the other ogres moments ago now transformed into a sharp, oppressive force.

The Ogre King, facing Yverantheia at close range, felt the change more intensely. It was as if the air itself had solidified, making every movement a struggle.

This feeling was unprecedented, even compared to the time when he had single-handedly challenged the former Ogre King.

'This is... exhilarating!'

Despite his superior intellect and rationality, at his core, he was still an ogre. Facing a formidable opponent stirred his blood, making him eager for battle, as long as the gap in strength wasn’t insurmountable.

Moreover, he had confidence in his chances. Typical ogre possessed third-level strength, with the stronger ones reaching the fourth level. He was a solid fourth-level, even among the high ranks of that level.

"Come! Show me your power!"

As his words echoed, a tremendous force burst forth, causing a whirlwind that forced the ogres watching from the shadows to close their eyes involuntarily.

This was merely a probing attack, yet it demonstrated the might of a high-ranking fourth-level Ogre King.

What shocked the ogres even more was that Yverantheia caught the attack with just one seemingly malnourished hand.

"No need to hold back. I might have one hand, but I'm far from helpless."

"Of course."

To the ogres, showing respect to a powerful adversary meant fighting with all their might. Holding back was considered an insult.

Retracting his outstretched fist, the Ogre King launched a powerful kick towards Yverantheia. She mirrored his move with a kick of her own. Due to her lighter weight, she was sent flying.

The Ogre King seized the opportunity, leaping forward with both fists aimed at Yverantheia's midsection.

However, he had overlooked one thing: Yverantheia's prowess wasn’t limited to close combat—she could wield magic too.

A sudden gust of wind diverted the Ogre King’s attack, allowing Yverantheia to reposition herself mid-air and counter with a spinning kick.

Caught off guard, the Ogre King was sent crashing to the ground, creating a sizable crater.

"Cough!… Again!"

Spitting out blood, the Ogre King charged at the now-grounded Yverantheia.

Smack!

Their hands met, each exerting force, neither willing to yield.

Despite the apparent disadvantage of having only one hand, Yverantheia held her ground. The Ogre King, with both hands, had the upper hand, yet Yverantheia's resolve didn’t falter.

In fact, the Ogre King was already preparing his next move. His left fist clenched, ready to strike.

"What!?"

Halfway through his swing, an invisible force stopped his punch mid-air.

"Is this... magic!?"

"Correct."

Through rigorous training and mastery of the skill 'Pseudo-Dragon Scale,' Yverantheia had developed the ability to mold her magic into a tangible arm. Although it lacked the dexterity of a real hand, it could block attacks effectively.

"By the way, there's something else."

In an instant, the Ogre King felt multiple impacts all over his body.

This was another application of Yverantheia's magic. If she could form one magical arm, she could create many. She had conjured dozens of magical arms to strike simultaneously, their combined force momentarily overwhelming the Ogre King, causing him to release his grip.

Seizing the moment, Yverantheia dashed into the Ogre King’s guard.

"It’s over."

Yverantheia's left hand pressed against the Ogre King's chest, her feet firmly planted, channeling all her strength into a single, powerful blow that sent the Ogre King flying, crashing through a wall.

"...Cough... Well done... I concede."

Lying in the rubble, the Ogre King admitted his defeat without hesitation.

"You’re impressive too. Though I’m not a warrior by nature, that fight got my blood pumping."

Yverantheia raised her hand, and a beam of light shot into the Ogre King's body, beginning to heal his injuries.

"This..."

"The battle is over. I can do this, right?"

"...On behalf of the ogres, I swear our fealty to you."

Yverantheia had proven her strength, and by the ogre's might-makes-right creed, she had earned their submission.

Seeing their king kneel before Yverantheia, the other ogres, who had been hiding and watching from afar, returned and understood the outcome.

With a collective sound, they all knelt, pledging their loyalty and respect to Yverantheia without any dissent.